The Rangers won 95 games last season, thanks in part to being 36-11 in one-run games (an MLB record) despite having a bullpen with the second-worst ERA in the American League.

With the departures of Ian Desmond, Mitch Moreland, Carlos Beltran, Derek Holland and Colby Lewis, a regression is likely, but can the return of Yu Darvish, Mike Napoli and former Padres aces Tyson Ross and Andrew Cashner limit the bleeding? The first six weeks of the season could make a huge difference.

Baseball Prospectus sees the Rangers dropping to third in the AL West this season behind the Astros and Mariners. While we expect Texas to regress 10 wins, the club should stay in front of the Mariners and contend for a wild-card spot.

Texas Rangers schedule 2017

The Rangers begin the 2017 schedule on baseball's opening day April 3 against the defending AL champion Indians at 6:05 p.m. ET as part of ESPN’s coverage of opening day.

Texas hosts the A’s for three games before embarking on a nine-game road trip against division foes the Angels, Mariners and A’s before finishing out April with a 10-game homestead.

Texas Rangers roster

Rangers projected opening day lineup

1. Carlos Gomez, OF

2. Shin-Soo Choo, DH/OF

3. Adrian Beltre, 3B

4. Mike Napoli, 1B

5. Rougned Odor, 2B

6. Jonathan Lucroy, C

7. Nomar Mazara, OF

8. Elvis Andrus, SS

9. Jurickson Profar, OF/DH

Rangers projected rotation

1. Cole Hamels, LHP

2. Yu Darvish, RHP

3. Martin Perez, LHP

4. A.J. Griffin, RHP

5. Mike Hauschild, RHP

Rangers projected bullpen

Rangers fantasy baseball sleeper

Mike Napoli, 1B: The slugger blasted a career-best 34 homers and 101 RBIs with the Indians last season and now returns to Texas in a more prolific lineup at a park he’s had success at in the past. Napoli averaged 27 homers (110 games) in two seasons with the Rangers in 2011 and 2012 and batted .295/.396/.513 with the club in 2015.

Rangers top prospect(s)

Southpaw Yohander Mendez is the fifth-best left-handed pitching prospect in baseball according to MLB.com. No wonder the Rangers dished out $1.5 million to sign him out of Venezuela in 2011. Mendez, 22, tore up the minors last season going 12-3 with a 2.19 ERA but gave up six runs in just three big-league innings. The 6-5 pitcher will eventually be a back-end starter.

Leody Taveras was just 17 years old when he started his professional career with the Rangers, hitting .271/.324/.366 in 73 minor-league games. A cousin of former MLB player Willy Taveras, Leody has the potential to be a five-tool outfielder once he fills out his frame.